"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel... By which also ye are saved... unless ye have believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures"(1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
Does the Fossil Record Prove Evolution?
By Noel Chartier
Evolution for the most part is based on one's interpretation of sedimentary
strata and the fossils found therein. Those who believe in Evolution appear to
be convinced that the fossils found in rock layers all over the earth are the
definite proof that creatures have been evolving upward into higher life forms
over hundreds of millions of years. Evolutionists declare this process has been
taking place through "natural selection" and "mutation", which leaves behind in
its
wake, the old models, so to say, which are replaced by higher forms of life.
Although Evolution cannot be seen happening today, this they say can be
observed in the fossil record. "Survival of the Fittest" is the catch word
to explain this alleged process throughout the ages and those creatures that
could not adapt died out,
producing no offspring and became extinct. On the other hand, the "strong" kept
getting stronger, producing new and improved offspring adapting to their
environment by arbitrarily changing its own function and form over eons of
time..
But, if this hypothesis were indeed true, we would expect to find within the
fossil record millions of specimens that have slowly changed from bacteria to
algae to invertebrates to fish to amphibians to reptiles to birds and mammals
and finally to man as shown in the Darwinian Tree.
However, when we examine the Evolutionary Tree we find that all of these
species (or
their counterparts) for the most part, are living today. So what really do we
see in the fossil record? When we go to a museum of “natural
history”, we primarily find only fossils of extinct creatures. This of
course gives the impression (especially with the commentary supplied) that
things have been changing for the better over long periods of time, and that
all creatures found in the fossil record are very old, outdated and extinct
creatures that have long ago ceased to exist.
But, if we were to see the whole of the fossil record, and we were not
influenced from years of evolutionary training in the science class, and
bombarded with evolutionary biased programs, journals and magazines etc, and if
we were to go out into the field and examine the evidence for ourselves, I
think we would come up with a totally different conclusion. So what we need to
do, as the Bible instructs us to do, is to
“Prove all things”
(1 Thessalonians 5:21).
There really are only two world views that exist today that propose where all
things originated from, that is, supernatural Creation by the Almighty God, and
Evolution, which purports that “the entire visible universe grew from a
speck far smaller than a proton” (TIME, June 25, 2001, How the Universe
Will End, p. 39), that exploded (“Big Bang”) 15 billion years ago.
In this article it is our hope that the readers will find that the mindless
processes that are alleged to take place in and through Evolution are nothing
more than a fantasy that has been thought out by men (and inspired by the
devil) who have rejected the Bible and the one and only true God of Creation.
Fossil Facts
What we would first like to display for the discerning mind is what can really
be observed in the fossil record, which is subtly hidden from the unsuspecting
onlooker in the museums of natural history around the world. The conclusion
that many are coming to when challenged with the alternate view to the long
ages of Evolution is that the fossil record proves sudden appearance, which
must be accomplished by a divine act of Creation.
When we observe the fossil record we will see only two pieces of evidence with
which to make a rational and logical conclusion:
1. Fossils of extinct
creatures and,
2. Fossils of creatures that are still living today.
From this observable evidence it can easily be seen that ALL the creatures
still living today
have not changed after “millions of years”. They have somehow
mysteriously forgotten to evolve and look
identical
to their fossil
counterpart.
Natural History museums spend very little space in their exhibits to let the
onlooker understand that there are hundreds of fossilized creatures that are
assumed to be hundreds of millions of years old that are actually living today,
and they have not changed.
Another thing that is strangely missing from these displays are all the
intermediate creatures that should exist (if Evolution is true) between
invertebrates and vertebrates, fish and amphibians, the amphibians and
reptiles, reptiles and the birds and mammals, and of course, monkeys and man.
In the gaps between all these taxonomies, should we not see thousands of
intermediate creatures that have gradually changed from one species into
another as Evolution claims? We should find ample evidence of transitionary
fossils, but mysteriously it is absent in the evolutionary presentations.
One Evolutionist has thoughtfully asked, “Why is all the gradual change
going on in those very gaps?” There is nothing found in between all the
living kinds linking one species to another so they are most suitably called
“Missing Links”, for the simple reason that they do not exist.
Even the most elite Evolutions have been baffled by the lack of transitionary
fossils. Stephen Jay Gould of Harvard pointed out that “The fossil record
with its abrupt transitions offers no support for gradual change ... All
paleontologists know that the fossil record contains precious little in the way
of intermediate forms; transitions between major groups are characteristically
abrupt” (Gould, 1977).
Dr T. S. Kemp, Curator of Zoological collections of Oxford University said,
“With few exceptions, radically new kinds of organisms appear for the
first time in the fossil record already fully evolved, with most of their
characteristic features present” (Kemp, 1999).
In all reality, the true evidence that exists in the fossil record is one of
abrupt or the sudden appearance of fully formed and fully functional creatures.
The evidence clearly points to the Creation model of all things whereby God
said,
“let there be …”
and there was.
“For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in
them is”
(Exodus 20:11).
“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them
by the breath of his mouth”
(Psalm 33:6).
Furthermore, Evolution starts with dead matter, and dead matter has never been
observed coming to life.
In the world today we see that all life
MUST come from life.
Living Fossils
Bats
It is amazing that fossil bats said to be millions of years old look the same
today. Or is it amazing? Perhaps bats have always been bats.
Coelacanth
The Coelacanth was a creature presumed by the scientific body before 1953 to
have been extinct for 75 million years and purported to be as old as 450
million years. Evolutionary scientists used the coelacanth fossils as evidence
to support their theory that fish evolved into amphibians. It was hailed as one
of the great missing links, which was well on it's way to becoming an
amphibian, that is, until one was caught off the coast of Madagascar in the
Indian Ocean. Surprisingly it looked the same as it's alleged 75 million year
old fossilized ancestor. It was found to be a fully functional fish type
creature that forgot to evolve.
At the Royal Tyrell Museum in Alberta Canada they still use this same
philosophy to “prove” Evolution with models of fish in the water and
then an Amphibian on dry land with his tail in the water. I pointed out to the
curator that all I saw in their display was a fish (which exist today) and an
amphibian (which exists today), one in the water, one on dry land. I saw no
evolution happening in their display. What was missing were all the
transitional creatures that are supposed to be in between but have not been
found after centuries of digging. Perhaps they do not exist. The curator humbly
agreed that this was a poor representation.
Crab
The crab is another species that has not changed one iota over "millions of
years".
Shrimp:
Supposedly 220 million years old.
Lobster
Dragonfly
Horseshoe Crab
Jelly Fish
Nautilus
Sea Horse
Mosquito
Fern
Wollemi Pine
When a stand of Wollemi Pines was found in an isolated area in Australia in
1994, the discovery was hailed as "the
equivalent of finding a small dinosaur still alive on Earth". The Wollemi Pine
has been thought to be extinct for
millions of years, but when one is found, alas, it looks exactly like its
predecessor.
Trilobite
A trilobite is a marine anthropoid that most believe has become extinct. There
are many different varieties that range in size from about a quarter of an
inch, up to 2 feet in diameter. While trilobites are said to be extinct for
over 100 million years, there are certainly some living creatures that could
pass for them today. In fact, there has been found fossil trilobites and
footprints of a human in the same piece of rock proving that they co-existed
with man as the Biblical record indicates. According to Evolution man is
supposed to be 99 million years younger than trilobites.
Tadpole Shrimp
Snails
We got the fossil of these snails from Rene's Rock and Fossil Shop in British
Columbia, Canada. The shops proprietor said these snails were 65 million years
old. Back home in our ditch we have the same snails and they are living.
Turtle
Salamander
The Tuatara
(Sphenodon punctatus)
Crocodile
(200 million years old)
Snakes
Frogs
Sand Dollars
Here is a fossil sand dollar from Baja California, the skeleton of a sand dollar from the Gulf of Mexico, and two living
specimens also from the Gulf of Mexico. Once again, we fail to see evolution in action.
Chicken
One theory believes that dinosaurs or lizards have evolved into chickens but both are found in the fossil record. We also find many other birds with fully formed feathers, even the famed Archaeopteryx which is claimed by some to be an intermediary between birds and lizards. However, the Archaeopteryx is a fully functional bird with fully formed aerodynamic wings and feathers. That is quite a leap from a lizard.
Giant Penguin (Icadyptes salasi)
A complete skeleton of a giant penguin was recently found in the tropics of Peru that is said to be 36 million years old. The skull is here compared to the skull of the only penguin living in Peru today along with an artists rendition of this 5 foot tall creature. There are no fewer than 17 species of penguins living today and scientists recognize approximately 32 species that have become extinct. Evolutionists claim that penguins probably evolved from flying birds 40 million years ago but the evidence supports the fact that penguins have always been penguins, although many species within the penguin "kind" have become extinct.
Humans
Fossilized human bones (Homo sapiens sapiens) from the Qafzeh cave site in Nazareth, Israel.
While on an expedition for dinosaur fossils in Niger in 2000, photographer Mike Hettwer discovered hundreds of fossilized humans in the Sahara Desert.
Here is the challenge to those who believe that the fossil record proves
Evolution. If every fossil whose counterpart is still living,
has not changed in “millions of years”, why should we believe that
the fossils whose species are now extinct have changed from a lower life form
prior to their becoming extinct?
If hundreds of “living fossils” have not changed, why should we
believe that the extinct creatures did change, especially when the fossil record is
void of any intermediate fossils between the species they are alleged to have changed into? I believe it
is simply this, people believe it because this is what they are told all their
lives without sincerely examining the evidence for themselves.
“Prove all things”
(2Thessalonians 5:21).
How do creatures become extinct?
If the “present is the key to the past” as evolutionist are so keen
to assert, then we must look at how creatures today become extinct. It usually
boils down to just a few reasons such as climatic changes, introduction of
natural predators, the destruction of habitat, natural disasters,
disease, or usually, they were hunted into extinction.
The current theory, at least for the extinction of many of the reptilian
creatures (dinosaurs), is that a meteorite hit the earth 65 million years ago
causing the earth to undergo great climatic changes that the dinosaurs could
not survive. But, this is hard to believe since there are hundreds of different
reptilian types that are still alive and well today.
In our present day there are many animals on the endangered species list and
others only exist in captivity. But the sad fact is that extinctions are
continuing today. We
could list hundreds of creatures that have recently become extinct, but here
are a few:
The
Carolina Parakeet
was a creature that used to thrive in the southeastern United States. But when
this bird developed a liking for the seeds of many kinds of fruit and grain
crops, it was then deemed a pest sealing its fate to wholesale annihilation.
Deforestation for agricultural purposes further reduced its habitat. The last
of these birds was seen in the 1920's in Florida where its final stand of
forest was located.
Bali is a small island that used to be home to the
Bali Tiger
but Human activity, agriculture (coffee and coconut cultivation), collection
of firewood, increasing tourism and uncontrolled hunting for sport pushed
the tiger into smaller and smaller regions until the last known Bali Tiger was
shot and killed on the 27th of September 1937; this was an adult tigress.
The famous
Dodo Bird
inhabited the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, where it lived
undisturbed before the arrival of man. It lived and nested on the ground and
ate fruits that had fallen from trees. There were no mammals on the island and
a high diversity of bird species lived in the dense forests.
In 1505, the Portuguese became the first humans to set foot on Mauritius. The
island quickly became a stopover for ships engaged in the spice trade. Weighing
up to 50 pounds, the dodo was a welcome source of fresh meat for the sailors so
large numbers of dodos were killed for food.
Later, when the Dutch used the island as a penal colony. Pigs and monkeys were
brought to the island along with the convicts. Many of the ships that came to
Mauritius also had uninvited rats aboard, and some found their way onto the
island. Before humans and other mammals arrived, the dodo had little to fear
from predators. The rats, pigs and monkeys made short work of vulnerable dodo
eggs in the ground nests.
The combination of human exploitation and introduced species significantly
reduced dodo populations. Within 100 years of the arrival of humans on
Mauritius, the once abundant dodo was a rare bird. The last one was killed in
1681.
The
Great Auk
was the last flightless seabird of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the
boreal and low-Arctic regions of the North Atlantic. Large body size made the
Great Auk especially susceptible to human overexploitation for food, fat, bait,
and feathers. Ultimate extinction was caused by the collection of specimens for
museums and private collectors; on Eldey Island, Iceland, in 1844, the last 2
confirmed adults were killed for European collectors.
The
Laughing Owl
was once common to New Zealand, but is probably now extinct. European settlers
first arrived in New Zealand in 1840, when the laughing owl was plentiful.
Specimens of the laughing owl were sent to the British Museum where reports on
them were published in 1845.
By 1880, they were becoming rare, and the last specimen recorded was found dead
at Blue Cliffs in Canterbury in 1914. There have been unconfirmed reports of
laughing owls since then, but no specimens. Extinction was caused by
persecution, land use changes and the introduction of predators such as cats
and dogs.
There were
Moa
living in New Zealand when the Maori people arrived but it is believed that
the moa was totally extinct in 1769 when Captain Cook landed in New Zealand.
Some land was cleared by the Maori, which would have reduced its habitat. But
the main reason the moa became extinct was hunting.
There were 11 different species. The giant moa was one of the biggest birds
ever known in the world, taller than three meters and weighing in at about 250
kilograms. However there were smaller moa. The smallest moa species was a bit
bigger than a turkey, about half a meter tall. There are many other extinct New
Zealand birds - rails, adzebill, wrens, eagle, etc.
The
Passenger Pigeon
was estimated to be numbering in the billions in the early 1800's. In 1810 the
famous ornithologist Alexander Wilson described a flock that “darkened the sky”
– it was several miles across and took hours to pass overhead. He calculated
the size of the flock --- using the time it took to pass over, its width, and
the number of birds passing over per minute – and estimated there were over two
billion birds in this one flock. But by the early 1900's they were hunted (for
food) to extinction by man. A monument to the passenger pigeon, in the
Wisconsin's Wyalusing State Park declares: “This species became extinct
through the avarice and
thoughtlessness of man.” The passenger pigeon officially became extinct
when the last known representative died on September 1, 1914 in the Cincinnati
Zoo.
The
Quagga
(
Equus quagga
) is a recently extinct mammal. Some believe that the quagga is closely related
to horses and zebras. It was a yellowish-brown zebra with stripes only on its
head, neck and fore body. The quagga was native to the desert areas of Africa
until it was exterminated in the wild in the 1870s. The quagga went extinct
because South African farmers hunted it down for meat and leather. The settlers
also saw them as competitors for their livestock, mainly sheep and goats. The
last captive quagga's died in Europe in the 1880s.
The
Tasmanian wolf
was found only on the southwestern side of the island of Tasmania in recent
history. The fossil record shows that it was found in New Guinea and Australia
as recently as 3,000 years ago. The Tasmanian Wolf was thought to be a
livestock killer. This was never substantiated, but because of this
misconception the wolf was hunted (by the private sector and the government)
from 1840-1909 for bounty. The Tasmanian Wolf is now thought to be extinct when
the last know living specimen died in a Hobart, Tasmanian zoo in 1936. The main
factors leading to the demise of this species were over hunting, habitat
destruction, disease, and competition with domesticated dogs.
Toolache wallabies
were native to a small area in South-eastern Australia. Hunting by man was
probably the main cause of extinction. They had a very beautiful pelt that was
in great demand. This species was also a favorite prey for dog-hunts, because
of its combination of high speed and unpredictable jumps. A second factor in
the extermination of the Toolache wallaby may have been the introduction of the
fox, which preyed on the young wallabies.
The last member of this species may have been a captive female that survived
till at least 1927.
The
Heath Hen
, a small wild fowl, was a relative of the prairie chicken. It was once
considered quite tasty and was rather easy to kill. Prior to the American
Revolution, the heath hen was found in the eastern United States from Maine to
Virginia. Expanding human populations in the colonies put an intolerable
hunting pressure on the heath hen populations, noticeably lowering the heath
hen populations by the time of the Revolutionary War. In 1830 the heath hen's
steep decline garnered the attention of naturalist John Audubon (founder of The
Audubon Society), but it continued unabated. By the 1870s the only heath hens
left, occupied a tiny island called Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Cape Cod
in Massachusetts. In 1907 there were only 50 heath hens left on Martha's
Vineyard. The following year a 1600-acre sanctuary was established for their
protection.
Protection at the sanctuary seemed to be successful. The original 50 protected
birds reproduced rapidly and there were 2,000 individuals by 1915. The entire
heath hen population, however, was still confined to Martha's Vineyard. Then
disaster struck. In 1916 a fire wiped out much of the habitat that heath hens
used for breeding. The following winter was unusually harsh, and an influx of
goshawks, a predatory bird that fed on the heath hens, hurt the population even
more. Finally, many of the remaining heath hens fell victim to a poultry
disease brought to the island by domestic turkeys. There were only 13 heath
hens left by 1927 and most of these were males. The last living heath hen, the
final survivor of his species, was seen on March 11, 1932.
The
Jamaican Giant Galliwasp
was a reptile with a length of about 30 centimeters. Its color was described
as pale brown, clouded with somewhat irregular bands of a deeper tinge. It was
said to occasionally change into a lively golden yellow. These lizards lived in
woody and marshy districts and fed on fish and fruit. The last of the Jamaican
Giant Galliwasps probably survived in the Hellshire Hills, a mongoose-free area
on the island of Jamaica. The last Jamaican Giant Galliwasp was recorded in
1840. The probable cause of extinction was the introduction of mongooses by
humans.
At one time, the
Steller's Sea Cow
was found in the cold waters of the Bering Sea, but it was hunted to
extinction within 27 years of its discovery in 1741. The largest sirenian on
record, the Steller's sea cow grew up to nine meters (30 feet) in length and
weighed around four metric tons (approximately 4.4 tons).
To conclude this section we would like to reemphasize that extinction is still
going on today as it has from the beginning when sin and death entered the
world. The Bible tells us
“by man came death”
(1 Corinthians 15:21), and since man decided to go his own way, transgressing
the commandment of God, death and pain and suffering were introduced into what
was initially God's
“very good”
creation. We have seen from the above examples that the introduction of
natural predators, the destruction of their habitat, natural disasters,
disease, and primarily, hunting for food, sport or pest control was the cause
of their extinction. We must therefore conclude that this is how creatures have
been going extinct since sin entered the world and that death was nonexistent
before man sinned.
How are fossils formed?
The current idea as to how fossils have been formed is found within many
evolutionary publications. In the book “Dinosaurs” (Fog City Press
2002), edited by Dr. Paul Willis, it states, “Most fossils … result
from the burial of an organism's remains in the sediments of a river, lake, or
sea.”
For illustration purposes, they place a large land dwelling creature called a
Camptosaurus
below the surface of a lake safe from large scavengers.
Next we are told, the flesh decays leaving the bones, then
“Over a long period of time,
layers of sand or silt accumulate over the dinosaur's bones.” The belief
is that the bones will lie on the bottom of the lake for a “long period of
time” slowly accumulating layers of silt before it is finally covered and
then fossilized.
This process is what Evolutionists call Uniformitarianism whereby they believe
that layers of silt and sand are laid down slowly and uniformly over long
periods of time covering all the creatures that have died. Encyclopedia
Britannica states, “the principle of uniformity postulates that phenomena
displayed in the rocks may be entirely accounted for by geologic processes
which continue to operate at the present day—in other words, the present
is the key to the past.”
Since we do not see great layers of strata being formed rapidly today,
evolutionists theorize that the great layers of fossil bearing rock (up to 15
miles deep in some places) that are observed in the earth today (such as in the
Grand Canyon) must have been laid down over millions of years.
But, if the theory proposed in the book “Dinosaurs” is true, should
we not be able to see creatures on the bottoms of lakes and rivers today
waiting to get covered with silt over long periods of time? This we do not see!
Even under water, there are small microbes and other creatures that will eat
away at the bones. As well, water contains oxygen that promotes decay.
Unless the creatures are
rapidly covered
with sediment, natural decay or a
welcome meal for all kinds of hungry creatures would be the resulting
“natural process” affecting any creatures left open to the elements.
When the Titanic sank in 1912 over 1000 bodies were not recovered. When the
Titanic was found and explored after 70 years, the expedition failed to produce
one bone from any of the deceased. They all disintegrated with no remains to be
found other than the boots and other accessories of their owners.
In the “Royal Tyrell Museum” in Alberta Canada, they have a display
representing their theory as to how fish are fossilized. They state,
“When they died, they sank to the bottom where they were buried in the
mud.”
We would like to point out, that in reality this does not happen. If you have
ever been out fishing perhaps you have seen a dead fish. Did you see it on the
bottom? Of course not, dead fish usually float! And how long after that did it
take before a pelican or seagull came along and had a free meal?
By chance, if the fish did sink, would he lay on the bottom of the lake for
millions of years waiting to be covered with mud? Of course not! There are
scavengers such as crabs and crayfish and other bottom feeders along with
micro organisms that would make short work of cleaning up any debris left on
the bottom.
How then are fossils formed and preserved? It is interesting that Evolutionists
place “most fossils” under some watery deluge in order to preserve
their remains, but unless they are buried RAPIDLY to trap out all oxygen and
scavengers that would eat away at the bones, there is no chance of ever forming
a fossil.
If the majority of evolutionists are in agreement that “most fossils”
were made when they were laid down in some watery deluge, why will they not
accept the possibility that the fossil beds all over the world are perhaps the
result of sediments that were rapidly precipitated during one great worldwide
catastrophic flood (Noah's Flood)? Well, in these last days, the Bible, even
among the religious has been set aside and not seriously read or believed.
Paul said in the last days men would have
“a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”
(2Timothy 3:5). They would become apostate denying the supernatural aspects of
Creation, of miracles, the virgin birth, and the worldwide flood.
If we would turn the question around and ask, if the flood of Noah were true,
what do you think would be the result of such a worldwide upheaval, and what
would be the evidence that we might see left behind in the earth today?
Should we not find billions of dead things laid down in rock layers all over
the earth? The fact is that the fossils' very existence requires
rapid,
permanent burial
of any organism
before
decay and scavengers can destroy them.
We believe that the strata seen in rock layers all over the earth are not the
result of millions of years of uniform deposition, but rather, the resulting
sedimentary layers that precipitated out of the floodwaters of Noah.
Judgment of the Wicked
God had pronounced judgment on the world of the ungodly.
“God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually … The
earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And
God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had
corrupted his way upon the earth”
(Genesis 6:5, 10-12).
The only solution for the survival of mankind was to
“destroy them with the earth”
(v. 13) and start over. There was yet one family remaining whom Satan had not
corrupted, that was Noah and his family.
“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with
fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the
world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith”
(Hebrews 11:7).
“And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face
of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the
air; for it repenteth me that I have made them”
(v. 7). And God said
“behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy
all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing
that is in the earth shall die”
(v. 17).
This was no local flood for
“all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered.
Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and
of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every
man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry
land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face
of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of
the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained
alive, and they that were with him in the ark”
(Genesis 7:19-23).
This was a catastrophe that was greater than any person today could possibly
imagine, for a great upheaval of that magnitude was never again repeated in
history. God said
“neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood;
neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth”
(Genesis 9:11). This proves the flood of Noah was not just a local flood for
there have been many local floods since that time. And God set the rainbow in
the sky as a reminder of His promise that the waters should never cover the
whole face of the earth again.
“Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which
have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it
cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not
prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?”
(Jeremiah 5:22)
“He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to
an end”
(Job 26:10).
After Noah's family (eight persons) and two of every creature (even the
dinosaurs) were safely in the ark, then
“were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of
heaven were opened”
(Genesis 7:11). Isaiah looking back said,
“for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth
do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the
earth is moved exceedingly”
(Isaiah 24:18-19).
The great slurry of hydraulic and geologic activity covered all the high hills
under the whole of
heaven and every living thing that was on the dry land died. Peter said,
“the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished”
(2Peter 3:6), and Jesus confirmed this saying
“the flood came, and destroyed them all”
(Luke 17:27, Matthew 24:39).
Undoubtedly this would have caused great upheavals and much sedimentary
deposition reconfiguring the face of the earth from any likeness it had before
the flood. Peter described it as
“the world that then was”.
It
“then was”
but no longer exists. The Psalmist said when the floodwaters arose, the
mountains did
“shake”
and were
“carried into the midst of the seas”
(Psalm 46:2-3). Job said that the waters
“overturned the earth”
(Job 12:15).
Where did the Water Go?
Some have questioned the possibility of a worldwide flood by asking, where then
did all the water go? That's a good question and surely needs to be answered,
but first of all we should ask, where did all the water come from? The Bible
indicates that the flood had two sources, the great water cisterns of the deep
and the atmosphere above.
In the beginning, on
day one
of the creation week, God created the heavens and the earth (time, space and
matter), and the earth was without form and void. The earth at this time
consisted of the elements and water (building blocks)(Genesis 1:2). Then on
day two
God divided the waters and made a space or an expanse between the waters above
and the waters below (Genesis 1:6-8). On
day three
God caused dry land to appear out of the waters beneath the atmosphere and He
called the dry land Earth (Genesis 1:9-13).
Before the flood then, there was a great body of water above the atmosphere.
Now if all this water was precipitated from above the atmosphere during the
great flood, where is that water today? The Bible tells us the waters are
primarily now in the oceans which are up to 6 miles deep. The surface area of
the world today consists of 70% water, and if the mountains were pushed into
the oceans, it is not hard to see how this world could be covered in as much as
2 miles of water.
“Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for
ever. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood
above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder
they hasted away. They go up by the mountains;
they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them
. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again
to cover the earth”
(Psalm 104:5-9).
When we look at the strata in the mountains today, (which are full of fossils),
they have the appearance of being uplifted with the lines of strata presented
at vertical angles. It is not hard to imagine when the mountains were lifted
up, the water runoff would have caused great valleys and canyons to be cut out
all over the earth revealing the strata that was precipitated out of the
floodwaters of Noah along with all the creatures buried therein. Where canyons
are cut out, the layers of strata tend to be in a more horizontal arrangement
such as in the Grand Canyon.
The evolutionary hypothesis as to how canyons are cut denies the Biblical
account of a young earth. Evolutionists have determined that not only were the
layers laid down over long ages, but that the canyons were also cut out by slow
meandering rivers over millions of years.
When an evolutionist looks at these amazing pictures he is trained to think in
the order of millions of years. But when a Bible believing Christian looks at
the same pictures he sees the result of God's judgment that quickly overcame
the world of the ungodly.
How then, do evolutionists come up with millions of years?
If you have ever been to a rock and fossil shop, you will find dates affixed to
their fossils in the millions of years. But is this true? The Bible tells us to
“prove all things”.
Can they prove these great ages? According to Biblical chronology, the earth
is only around 6000 years old. If you ask the owners of the fossil shops how
they got these dates, the answer you are most certain to get is “carbon
dating”.
Here is a brief summary on how Carbon Dating works:
This method measures the ratio of C-14 and C-12 in a creature after it has died.
C-12 is stable and does not decay but C-14 decays into N-14.
C-14 is constantly being produced and constantly decaying in the atmosphere.
Living creatures take in Carbon in the form of C-14 and C-12 by breathing and
by eating.
When a creature dies, it no longer takes in any Carbon.
Half of the amount of C-14 decays in 5730 years. In another 5730 years, half of
the balance is depleted and so on until there is no C-14 left.
At this rate of decay, it is obvious that within about 10 half lives there will
be no C-14 left.
From the above data, it can be clearly seen that this method cannot date
anything more than about 50-60,000 years. It should also be noted that this
method cannot be used to date rocks because rocks do not take in carbon (C-12 &
C-14). Furthermore, when this method is used, it is assumed that the C-14 and
C-12 in the atmosphere are now in equilibrium, that is, the ratio of C-12 to
C-14 is not changing and is now stable.
Therefore, when a creature takes in carbon in the form of C-12 and C-14, the
ratio of C-12 and C-14 within the creature would be the same ratio as the
atmosphere when it dies. But, if the ratio of C-12 to C-14 has not yet reached
equilibrium, creatures that died a thousand years ago would have a different
ratio when they died compared with creatures that died today throwing off the
reliability of this method.
Dr. William Libby, the inventor of Carbon-14 dating, assumed that the ratios of
C-14 and C-12 in the atmosphere were in equilibrium. He realized that for the
test to work these needed to be in equilibrium. But “He found a
considerable discrepancy in his measurements indicating that, apparently,
radiocarbon was being created in the atmosphere somewhere around 25 percent
faster than it was becoming extinct. Since this result was inexplicable by any
conventional scientific means, Libby put the discrepancy down to experimental
error.” (Richard Milton, Shattering the myths of Darwinism, 1997. 0. 32,
W.F. Libby. Radiocarbon Dating. 1955.)
But were these alleged discrepancies due to error? It was admitted that
“for the test to work properly: the standard mix of radiocarbon to
ordinary carbon in the terrestrial reservoir must always have been the
same” (Richard Milton,
Shattering the Myths of Darwinism
. 1997, pg. 31),
but to the contrary, it was found that C-14 was still building up in the
atmosphere faster than it was decaying.
“During the 1960's, Libby's experiments were repeated by chemists…
The new experiments, though, revealed that the discrepancy observed by Libby
was not merely an experimental error—it did exist.” (Richard Milton,
Shattering the Myths of Darwinism. 1997, pg. 31)
“There is strong indication, despite the large errors, that the present
natural production rate exceeds the natural decay rate by as much as 25%”
(Lingenfelter, Richard E., “Production of Carbon-14 by Cosmic Ray
Neutrons,”
Reviews of Geophysics
, vol. 1, no. 1 (February 1963), p. 51.)
“The reliability of the carbon-14 dating method is dependent on a balance
(steady state) between the amount of C-14 being produced in the atmosphere and
the amount of C-14 decay over a period of time. This balance has been shown to
be FALSE.” (Mike Riddle. Carbon Dating)
Evolutionists assume that the production and decay rate of C-14 is in
equilibrium because they believe the earth is billions of years old.
Equilibrium would have been achieved after only 60,000 years. But, if in fact,
the amount of C-14 in the atmosphere were still building up faster than it is
decaying, it would indicate that the earth's atmosphere is not even 60,000
years old because equilibrium has not yet been achieved. What had initially
been set out to prove an old earth, resulted in just the opposite.
“Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee”
(Psalms 76:10).
Another assumption that is used is that the C-12 has been the same in the
atmosphere for long ages. What they have failed to take into consideration is
the influx of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere with the industrial
revolution, atomic weapons testing, and the eruption of volcanoes, all of which
would dump tons of C-12 into the atmosphere.
The common perception today is that the earth is 4.6 billion years old and that
radioisotope dating is the method that gives us these great ages. But again, we
would have to ask, are there any assumptions used in these dating methods as we
have found in the Carbon Dating Method?
There are several of these methods that operate by measuring the parent and
daughter isotopes. In this method (as well as all others), the unstable parent
isotope (which has a given half life) decays into the stable daughter isotope
and the ratio of the two is used to determine the age. This is known as
radioactive decay. Uranium-Lead, Potassium-Argon, and Strontium-Rubidium are
but a few of these dating methods, but Potassium-Argon is by far the most
common.
The theory behind this method begins when lava cools forming an igneous rock.
This is when the radiometric “clock” starts. When the lava is in a
molten state it can readily give off argon gas. But when it cools off, no more
argon can be dissipated and the argon begins to build up within the rock as the
potassium decays. It is alleged that half of the Potassium will decay into
Argon in 130 million years. By measuring the ratio of Potassium/Argon in the
rock we should be able to calculate the age of the rock from the time when the
lava crystallized.
In theory this all sounds quite plausible, but what we find upon examination of
this dating method is that several assumptions are taken rendering this
radioisotope method
unreliable
and therefore
invalid
as well as all others that
operate on the same basis. Here are a few of the assumptions that are taken for
granted.
It is assumed that the argon (daughter isotope) level is zero when the rock is
formed.
The number of parent/daughter atoms has not been altered during the life of the
rock except by radioactive decay.
The decay rate has always been constant.
These three pieces of information are not known when dating rocks. Furthermore,
we will find out that the assumptions taken are usually based on the worldview
that the earth is billions of years old.
“Several methods have been devised for estimating the age of the earth
and its layers of rocks. These methods rely heavily on the assumption of
uniformitarianism, i.e., natural processes have proceeded at relatively
constant rates throughout the earth's history.” “It is obvious that
radiometric techniques may not be the absolute dating methods that they are
claimed to be. Age estimates on a given geological stratum by different
radiometric methods are often quite different (sometimes by hundreds of
millions of years). There is no absolutely reliable long-term radiological
'clock.'” (Stansfield, William D.,
The Science of Evolution
(New York: Macmillan, 1977), pp. 80-81).
Furthermore, these methods have been proven absolutely fallible when rocks of a
known age have been dated using these methods. Tests have been done on the
rocks of volcano's that we know have recently erupted and they have been given
dates that are astronomically inconsistent with the absolute date.
Sunset Crater in Northern Arizona was formed in 1065AD: Dated 200,000 + years
Lava flows at Mt. Ngaurhoe in New Zealand were formed in 1949, 1954, & 1975:
Dated at 275,000 years
Hualalai basalt in Hawaii was formed in 1801: Dated 1.4-22 million years old
Mt. Etna basalt in Sicily was formed in 1972: Dated 140,000 – 350,000
Mt St. Helens erupted in 1980: Dated 300,000 years old
Diamonds from Zaire: Dated at 6 billion years old (Note: earth is supposedly
only 4.6 billion years old)
Even among evolutionists there is the recognition that these radiometric dating
methods are all unreliable. Consider the following quotes:
“If all of the age-dating methods (rubidium-strontium, uranium-lead and
potassium-argon) had yielded the same ages, the picture would be neat. But they
haven't.” (Driscoll, Everly, “Dating of Moon Samples: Pitfalls and
Paradoxes,”
Science News
, vol. 101 (January 1, 1972), pp. 12-14.)
“In conventional interpretation of K-Ar age data, it is common to discard
ages which are substantially too high or too low compared with the rest of the
group or with other available data such as the geological time scale. The
discrepancies between the rejected and the accepted are arbitrarily attributed
to excess or loss of argon.” (Hayatsu, A., “K-Ar Isochron Age of the
North Mountain Basalt, Nova Scotia,”
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
, vol. 16 (April 1979), p. 974.)
“In general, dates in the 'correct ball park' are assumed to be correct
and are published, but those in disagreement with other data are seldom
published nor are discrepancies fully explained.” (R.L. Mauger)
“The age of our globe is presently thought to be some 4.5 billion years,
based on radio decay rates of uranium and thorium. Such 'confirmation' may be
short-lived, as nature is not to be discovered quite so easily. There has been
in recent years the horrible realization that radio decay rates are not as
constant as previously thought, nor are they immune to environmental
influences. And this could mean that the atomic clocks are reset during some
global disaster, and events which brought the Mesozoic to a close may not be 65
million years ago but, rather, within the age of memory of man.” (Frederic
B. Jueneman
“Secular Catastrophism”.
Industrial Research and Development. June 1982. p. 21.)
“Then as now, peer review can represent the tyranny of the majority. I
have run the peer-review gauntlet perhaps a hundred times. My papers describing
and interpreting geology in more or less conventional terms progressed
smoothly, whereas publication of my manuscripts challenging accepted concepts
has often been impeded, and occasionally blocked.” (W. B. Hamilton,
“Archean Tectonics and Magmatism”,
International Geology Review
, 1998, p. 3.)
One more note the reader should be aware of is that fossils are not found in
volcanic (igneous) rock, they are found in sedimentary rock, which the
radioisotope methods cannot date. If carbon dating cannot be used to date the
rocks and other radioisotope methods cannot be used to date the fossils, how
then do evolutionists date the rocks? Here is where the Geologic Column comes
into view.
The Geologic Column
Before dating techniques were created, the belief that the earth was millions
of years old was already introduced. This thought was based on the philosophy
of Uniformitarianism, which was first proposed by James Hutton when he
presented his uniformitarian principle in his papers to the Royal Society of
Edinburgh in 1785. He stating that the rock layers observed all around the
earth were laid down slowly over long periods of time. The lower layers of rock
were then thought to be hundreds of millions of years older than the upper
layers.
This uniformitarian philosophy afterward gave rise to Darwinian Evolution when
Charles Darwin extended the principle of uniformity to the plant and animal
kingdoms. This proposal was then illustrated in the Geologic Column, also known
as the
Geologic Time Scale
.
When the artists created the Geologic Time Scale, it gave the appearance of
evolution happening over geologic time, with marine invertebrates on the bottom
working their way up to man at the top. But when one looks at the finer
details,
the true picture represented is that of distinct kinds, some that are extinct
and some that are living today.
Any changes we may see are always on a horizontal level within a kind
(example: many varieties of cats), or on a downward level due to mutations and
extinctions (contrary to evolutions upward demands).
Within the rock layers are found fossils, and it is “believed” that
some of these fossils were very early forms of life that became extinct a long
time ago. The fossils found in these layers then became the means of
determining the age of the rocks. Likewise, the rocks were then used to date
the fossils.
Opponents of this philosophy insist that this is circular reasoning and no
scientific method at all, but in all reality is what evolutionary scientists
choose to “believe”.
“The intelligent layman has long suspected circular reasoning in the use
of rocks to date fossils and fossils to date rocks” (J.E. O'Rourke,
"American Journal of Science," 1976, 276:51).
The World Book Encyclopedia (1978) in its article titled “Fossils”
states,
“Scientists determine when fossils were formed by finding out the ages of
the rocks in which they lie.”
But the same encyclopedia, under its heading “Paleontology” says,
“The age of the rocks may be determined by the fossils found in
them.”
This circular reasoning is also presented in museums abroad such as The Museum
of Geology in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Sadly, many point to the Geologic Column as the final proof of Evolution. Dr.
Henry Morris of ICR points out, “It is not uncommon under this system to
find many rock systems “out-of-place” in the column—that is,
“old” rocks overlying “young” rocks, fossils from different
“ages” together, entire ages missing, etc. When such anomalies are
encountered, imaginary earth movements or other geologic phenomena must be
postulated to account for them. All of this creative thinking is necessary
under the false assumption that the evolutionary ages of geologic history
really existed at all.”
The Devil has been
“a liar”
from the beginning; in fact, he is called
“the father”
(John 8:44) of lies. He is
“more subtle”
(Genesis 3:1) than any creature, and from the beginning till this present time
he has tempted man saying,
“Yea, hath God said”
(Genesis 3:1)? In his bag of lies he has Evolution, which he is using to
deceive many, turning their hearts from the truth of Gods Word.
The Devil, we are told,
“decieveth the whole world”
(Revelation 12:9), and he has many agents who are
“deceiving and being deceived”
(2 Timothy 3:13).
But Jesus solemnly warned us,
“Take heed that ye be not deceived”
(Luke 21:8)...
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”
(1 Peter 5:8) ...
“Prove all things”
(1Thessalonians 5:21)...
“Be ready always to give an answer to every man”
(1Peter 3:15)...
“Know how ye ought to answer every man”
(Colossians 4:6)…
“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of
sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed”
(Romans 13:11).
If we look back to our original question, “Does the fossil record prove
evolution?”
We must respond with a firm No! The fossil record was formed
primarily during the Great Flood (Genesis 6-9), when
“the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished”
(2Peter 3:6). When we look at the fossil record, we should be reminded of the
awfulness of sin, and the holiness of God who judged man's rebellion. We should
understand that
“by one man
[Adam]
sin entered the world, and death by sin.”
Death entered the world by sin!
But to the contrary, the theory of Evolution starts with dead matter, and
through Evolution life came to be. However, in our present day we see no dead
matter coming to life. Today the real observable evidence is that life comes
from Life and ultimately, we MUST declare that all things come from the Living
God.
In the beginning God had created all things in six 24-hour days and on the
seventh day He
rested. On that day He pronounced that everything was
“very good”.
Therefore, the sin, suffering, and death that we see today are intruders and
not an initial part of God's
“very good”
creation. Because of sin
“the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until
now”
(Romans 8:22).
When we see sedimentary rocks containing billions of dead plants, animals and
people, we must conclude that these things happened sometime after the creation
week.
But God is not going to allow these intruders to continue forever. Death, sin
and suffering will eventually be banished when He makes the new heavens and
earth (Revelation 21:1-5). The whole Creation shall one day
“be delivered from the bondage of corruption”
(Romans 8:21).
If we believe God's account of Creation, there is no way that millions of years
can fit into the equation. The Bible demands a young earth, but some have
compromised with Evolution suggesting that each day of Creation could represent
millions of years (“Day Age” theory). But, there is no evidence in
context of Genesis chapter one that the word “day” means anything
but a literal solar day.
The Hebrew word (
yom
) that is translated “day”
is specifically defined by God as the daylight period in the sequence of day
and night the very first time it is used (Genesis 1:5). God Himself
unequivocally confirmed in the fourth Commandment (Exodus 31:18) that He had
made everything in heaven and earth in six days—days that were the same
kind of days as man's days.
Furthermore, the Lord Jesus Christ clearly affirmed in Mark 10:6 that
“from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female”,
not 4.6 billion years after the beginning of the Creation! The very concept
of billions of years of a groaning and travailing creation (Romans 8:22) with
animals suffering and dying during the long geologic ages before God could get
around to creating man in His own image, is an insult to a loving, omniscient,
omnipotent God. Death, under such a concept, is not
“the wages of sin”
as the Bible says (Romans 6:23), but the method of “creation”, as
evolutionists claim, through Natural Selection and the Survival of the Fittest.
Death (separation from God) is the payment for sin. But God our Creator is
love, and He provided the payment for sin with the sacrifice of His Son.
Because mankind is infected with sin, He desires to save us and mold us anew.
We are like a blemished vessel in the potter's hand.
“And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter:
so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make
it”
(Jeremiah 18:4).
Jesus described salvation like this, saying,
“Ye must be born again”
(John 3:7). He clarified this by saying,
“as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of
man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned:
but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in
the name of the only begotten Son of God”
(John 3:14-18).
Peter explained it like this,
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and
all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the
flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And
this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you”
(1Peter 1:23-25).
Ever since sin entered the world, man has been born of corruptible seed,
infected with sin. As the grass, we soon wither away. Like the whole creation,
we are under the bondage of decay. As Paul reminded us,
“the wages of sin is death”
(Romans 6:23). But Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and has
redeemed us,
“not with corruptible things, as silver and gold … But with the
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot …
Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him
glory; that your faith and hope might be in God”
(1Peter 1:18-19, 21).
Only
in this way can we be reconciled with God when we repent and believe that
“Christ died for our sins … and that he rose again”
(1Corinthians 15:1-4). When man, by faith, looks to Christ on Calvary's cross,
believing on HIM, he is placed
“in Christ”.
HIS death becomes our death, so too, HIS Life becomes ours. This is good news
for mankind. This is the
“gospel”.
From this time, the Spirit of Christ indwells the believer and begins His work
from within, transforming the new believer into the
“same image”
(2 Corinthians 3:18) of Christ.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new”
(2 Corinthians 5:17).
The Lord Jesus Christ
“gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and to
purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works”
(Titus 2:14). We are now
“his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them”
(Ephesians 2:10). We ought then to
“put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt
according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and
true holiness”
(Ephesians 4:22-24).
But, if
we receive not the gift of God's beloved Son, and
“sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth,
there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for
of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that
despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how
much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden
under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant,
wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the
Spirit of grace?”
(Hebrews 10:26-29)
“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation …”
(Hebrews 2:3)?
Last Update : 3/12/2009
Comments page 8 of 8
Click here to add a comment
Renee
Posted 1 Jun 2005 09:23
Once again I am dumbfounded by the amount of work put into the argument against evolution. The fear that science will somehow obliterate religion is so pervasive among Creationists that one begins to wonder at what point truth became a lesser priority.
Evolution is never wholly, or even partly, understood correctly by any Creationist I have ever met, heard, read. Not once have I heard or seen it defined or discussed with any accuracy. Of course, that is the nature of the delusion.
Evolution is not just supported by fossils. It can be observed, happening, as we speak. Get some bacteria and a petri dish. Go to the Galapagos Islands, and compare birds over several seasons of varying weather. And once and for all, realize that "theory" can indeed mean fact.
I think the most telling statement about how much those who adhere to Creationist explanations are not observing life with their eyes (mind) open is their idea that evolution - even the vague, inaccurate, misconception of it - somehow precludes God, or religion. Therein lies perhaps the biggest misunderstanding.
Unfortunately, Creationists are so enmeshed in supporting an imposed patriarchal Catholic papalcy imposed belief (above their own ability to think critically) that they have forgotten how to inquire, ponder ideas, concepts, that just may include their God and evolution all in the same instant.
I have heard it said that God exists whether you believe in her or not. Similarly, evolution exists whether you believe in it or not. It won't go away by ignoring it, or trying to forbid education about it, or arguing in stubborn ignorance that it is not well-supported by fact. All such arguments are specious and based in a very basic fear of, well, enlightened thinking.
If only Creationists could step put of their fear, and rightousness, for just a moment, they just may figure out that spirituality and evolution are living, co-existing, together on this planet, no matter how hard they choose to deny, and ignore it. It is sad to observe.
As a teacher of grade school and college students, I am grateful that I have the opportunity to help hundreds of children learn how to think cirtically for themselves, especially when fear and bias are proferred in the name of religion, or worse yet, God.
Carol
Posted 29 Jul 2005 09:23
I fully support the critique of outdated 'scientific' ideas. Many wonderful things have been discovered by careful argument and contemplation of facts, upsetting earlier ideas. The earth is round, not flat. Differences in skin color have nothing to do with your personality. Flies to not pop out of dead meat fully formed. In science, things change, and new data comes to the fore.
Science works by taking in the data, and then thinking of a reason why the data is what it is. Then, other scientists go over your idea (your theory) and test it to see if it works. They show their own theories, changes, and additions, and, by mutual effort, a theory emerges which fits all the data and is not contested (at least not until the next bit of data comes out). Because this is dynamic, even long-held ideas are still called 'theories.' That is normal scientific proccess.
However, science is, most emphatically, NOT the creation of an idea, and the search for data to fit that idea. For example, John Doe says that men are better than women. He goes and collects examples of lots of great men through history, and says that he finds no evidence that women are great. This is rediculous. John Doe has simply ignored the Data that doesn't support his theory. He is not being scientific.
If you really want to contest the long-held theory of Evolution, while keeping scientific credibility (which you are obviously trying to do), then please start over, with ALL the facts, and decide what would best fit them.
There ARE transitionary stages in the fossil record. Homo habilis is widely accepted as a transitionary stage in human evolution. Archeopteryx, Microraptor, and other feathered dinosaurs are transitionary stages in bird evolution. Mesohippus is a transitionary stage in horse evolution. Etc. Also, note that, in the geologic scale, the word 'sudden' means 'in a few million years.'
Fossils can be covered by sediment quickely. Ancient mudslides, volcanic eruptions, and tar pits are the best sources of fossils. Also, in highly acidic environments, like in peat bogs, decay happens very slowly. Fossils can form there as well.
Also, I would like to know how the Great Flood managed to deposit fossils on ALL layers of rock in a 40-day period?
Evolution can be observed withing historic time. Look at domestication, which is, at its core, human-caused evolution. Wolf becomes dog. Aurochs becomes cow. Red Jungle Fowl becomes chicken. Even recently, foxes, rats, and fruit flies have been artificially selected into highly varied forms. If people can do it, why can't nature? For that matter, why can't God?
Is evolution really contrary to a beleif in God? No. It is only contrary to an exact, literal intrerpretation of the Bible. Trying to collect data to support a theory is not scientific. It is religious. I respect that, but, like America's founders, I do not think that they should mix.
Jay Lucas
Posted 22 Sep 2005 09:23
Well Done.
Michael
Posted 1 Jan 2006 09:23
Showing like animals / plants side by side is not science nor religion "shoring-up".
The author didn't show any human or sapien remains / fossils. That would contradict his slide show.
And there are plenty of plant and animal fossils that show subtle changes that you can't refute. These examples on the surface look very much alike. But the skeletal differences are key.
Ordinarily I'd have passed this site by. The author went through so much trouble in a non-logical way, that I was self-implored to comment.
I say, believe what you like, just don't cast judgement. Because as you well know in your heart of hearts, judgement can only be made be the big guy.
If I want to believe in evolution, great. You, religion, great!
I'm all for leaving politics out of how we got here. Live and let live.
Aaron
Posted 27 Feb 2006 09:23
Wow, have never seen such convincing data for creation. The evidence is irrefutable, and some people, ^, still refuse to grasp the light...
God Bless your work
Jeremy
Posted 24 Mar 2006 08:23
I have to admit that I am impressed with the article. It is sincere, and I have to say that I find that lacking in both the evolution and the creation camps.
I suppose in the end, I agree with what the above poster said about the mixing of God and science. I have spent a great deal of my life hearing both sides, (My father was a baptist deacon, my mother was a biologist...yeah, don't ask) being torn to agree with one side or the other.
I suppose it occured to me one day, that Gods nature, wisdom and power is INFINITE. No human can claim to understand or fathom God, and in that, perhaps He (offered as gender neutral) as the ultimate creator of 'science' utililized these methods to create all we know.
I remember as a child my Grandmother telling me that to God, 1000 years is but a twinkle of an eye. Why then, in that all encompassing twinkle could God not have used 'science' to create the world? Why is it that God has to be this old man with a beard sitting on a cloud that can wrinkle his nose and 'blink' things into existence. It is much more interesting to me that, God would utilize the mysteries of the very fabric of reality, that he himself created, to enact his will.
Regardless, we as human beings will question those mysteries, nay, we MUST question those mysteries. I feel that as we do so we must remember that just as Scientists are fallible, that those who came before us in various religious movements were too, simply, Human. Just as science can be skewed towards personal bias, so too, can religion, and I feel that both scientists and theologians can too easily become wrapped up in their own self-righteousness. We must remember that there is, and will always be things we do not know, and by that admission, perhaps we can grow spiritually, and intellectually.
Private
Posted 30 May 2006 09:23
I'll have to admit-- AWESOME article. However, your theory has a few... flaws. First of all ,you claim that Evolution was "influenced by the devil" and "made by men that renounce God". The second one, renouncing God, is true. I myself firmly believe in most parts of evoluion, and I am an athiest. As for the first... I don't think so. How can you even prove the devil exists? Or God for that matter? (And don't cite the Bible as proof, please. It's been edited countless times and is contradictory even in the same Testament. Not to mention, how will you prove just because it's the Bible it's true? Oh, PLEASE realise I am not trying to offend any religious people here, just expressing my personal opinion and trying to back it up.) And as to the devil point, please. I believe in Evolution, as I have stated, and trust me, I have not seen Lucifer or the devil or whatever other names that character has.
Your spieces that haven't changed one iota are a few out of a great great many. It's understandable that Evolution, being a random process, will miss some species eventually.
As to your "Evolution=Universe came from Big Bang" argument, realize as wel lthat one need not labbel themselves. I believe in MOSt parts of evolution. Big Bang isn't one of them. (I am agnostic in that regard.)
I am sorry, however, that at this time I do not have time to write any further argument or critisism.
Although Evolution cannot be seen happening today, this they say can be
observed in the fossil record. "Survival of the Fittest" is the catch word
to explain this alleged process throughout the ages and those creatures that
could not adapt died out,
producing no offspring and became extinct. On the other hand, the "strong" kept
getting stronger, producing new and improved offspring adapting to their
environment by arbitrarily changing its own function and form over eons of
time..
Here is a fossil sand dollar from Baja California, the skeleton of a sand dollar from the Gulf of Mexico, and two living
specimens also from the Gulf of Mexico. Once again, we fail to see evolution in action.
Fossilized human bones (Homo sapiens sapiens) from the Qafzeh cave site in Nazareth, Israel.
While on an expedition for dinosaur fossils in Niger in 2000, photographer Mike Hettwer discovered hundreds of fossilized humans in the Sahara Desert.
The
Carolina Parakeet
was a creature that used to thrive in the southeastern United States. But when
this bird developed a liking for the seeds of many kinds of fruit and grain
crops, it was then deemed a pest sealing its fate to wholesale annihilation.
Deforestation for agricultural purposes further reduced its habitat. The last
of these birds was seen in the 1920's in Florida where its final stand of
forest was located.
Bali is a small island that used to be home to the
Bali Tiger
but Human activity, agriculture (coffee and coconut cultivation), collection
of firewood, increasing tourism and uncontrolled hunting for sport pushed
the tiger into smaller and smaller regions until the last known Bali Tiger was
shot and killed on the 27th of September 1937; this was an adult tigress.
The famous
Dodo Bird
inhabited the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, where it lived
undisturbed before the arrival of man. It lived and nested on the ground and
ate fruits that had fallen from trees. There were no mammals on the island and
a high diversity of bird species lived in the dense forests.
The
Great Auk
was the last flightless seabird of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the
boreal and low-Arctic regions of the North Atlantic. Large body size made the
Great Auk especially susceptible to human overexploitation for food, fat, bait,
and feathers. Ultimate extinction was caused by the collection of specimens for
museums and private collectors; on Eldey Island, Iceland, in 1844, the last 2
confirmed adults were killed for European collectors.
The
Laughing Owl
was once common to New Zealand, but is probably now extinct. European settlers
first arrived in New Zealand in 1840, when the laughing owl was plentiful.
Specimens of the laughing owl were sent to the British Museum where reports on
them were published in 1845.
There were
Moa
living in New Zealand when the Maori people arrived but it is believed that
the moa was totally extinct in 1769 when Captain Cook landed in New Zealand.
Some land was cleared by the Maori, which would have reduced its habitat. But
the main reason the moa became extinct was hunting.
The
Passenger Pigeon
was estimated to be numbering in the billions in the early 1800's. In 1810 the
famous ornithologist Alexander Wilson described a flock that “darkened the sky”
– it was several miles across and took hours to pass overhead. He calculated
the size of the flock --- using the time it took to pass over, its width, and
the number of birds passing over per minute – and estimated there were over two
billion birds in this one flock. But by the early 1900's they were hunted (for
food) to extinction by man. A monument to the passenger pigeon, in the
Wisconsin's Wyalusing State Park declares: “This species became extinct
through the avarice and
thoughtlessness of man.” The passenger pigeon officially became extinct
when the last known representative died on September 1, 1914 in the Cincinnati
Zoo.
The
Quagga
(
Equus quagga
) is a recently extinct mammal. Some believe that the quagga is closely related
to horses and zebras. It was a yellowish-brown zebra with stripes only on its
head, neck and fore body. The quagga was native to the desert areas of Africa
until it was exterminated in the wild in the 1870s. The quagga went extinct
because South African farmers hunted it down for meat and leather. The settlers
also saw them as competitors for their livestock, mainly sheep and goats. The
last captive quagga's died in Europe in the 1880s.
The
Tasmanian wolf
was found only on the southwestern side of the island of Tasmania in recent
history. The fossil record shows that it was found in New Guinea and Australia
as recently as 3,000 years ago. The Tasmanian Wolf was thought to be a
livestock killer. This was never substantiated, but because of this
misconception the wolf was hunted (by the private sector and the government)
from 1840-1909 for bounty. The Tasmanian Wolf is now thought to be extinct when
the last know living specimen died in a Hobart, Tasmanian zoo in 1936. The main
factors leading to the demise of this species were over hunting, habitat
destruction, disease, and competition with domesticated dogs.
Toolache wallabies
were native to a small area in South-eastern Australia. Hunting by man was
probably the main cause of extinction. They had a very beautiful pelt that was
in great demand. This species was also a favorite prey for dog-hunts, because
of its combination of high speed and unpredictable jumps. A second factor in
the extermination of the Toolache wallaby may have been the introduction of the
fox, which preyed on the young wallabies.
The last member of this species may have been a captive female that survived
till at least 1927.
The
Heath Hen
, a small wild fowl, was a relative of the prairie chicken. It was once
considered quite tasty and was rather easy to kill. Prior to the American
Revolution, the heath hen was found in the eastern United States from Maine to
Virginia. Expanding human populations in the colonies put an intolerable
hunting pressure on the heath hen populations, noticeably lowering the heath
hen populations by the time of the Revolutionary War. In 1830 the heath hen's
steep decline garnered the attention of naturalist John Audubon (founder of The
Audubon Society), but it continued unabated. By the 1870s the only heath hens
left, occupied a tiny island called Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Cape Cod
in Massachusetts. In 1907 there were only 50 heath hens left on Martha's
Vineyard. The following year a 1600-acre sanctuary was established for their
protection.
The
Jamaican Giant Galliwasp
was a reptile with a length of about 30 centimeters. Its color was described
as pale brown, clouded with somewhat irregular bands of a deeper tinge. It was
said to occasionally change into a lively golden yellow. These lizards lived in
woody and marshy districts and fed on fish and fruit. The last of the Jamaican
Giant Galliwasps probably survived in the Hellshire Hills, a mongoose-free area
on the island of Jamaica. The last Jamaican Giant Galliwasp was recorded in
1840. The probable cause of extinction was the introduction of mongooses by
humans.
At one time, the
Steller's Sea Cow
was found in the cold waters of the Bering Sea, but it was hunted to
extinction within 27 years of its discovery in 1741. The largest sirenian on
record, the Steller's sea cow grew up to nine meters (30 feet) in length and
weighed around four metric tons (approximately 4.4 tons).
In the beginning, on
day one
of the creation week, God created the heavens and the earth (time, space and
matter), and the earth was without form and void. The earth at this time
consisted of the elements and water (building blocks)(Genesis 1:2). Then on
day two
God divided the waters and made a space or an expanse between the waters above
and the waters below (Genesis 1:6-8). On
day three
God caused dry land to appear out of the waters beneath the atmosphere and He
called the dry land Earth (Genesis 1:9-13).
When we look at the strata in the mountains today, (which are full of fossils),
they have the appearance of being uplifted with the lines of strata presented
at vertical angles. It is not hard to imagine when the mountains were lifted
up, the water runoff would have caused great valleys and canyons to be cut out
all over the earth revealing the strata that was precipitated out of the
floodwaters of Noah along with all the creatures buried therein. Where canyons
are cut out, the layers of strata tend to be in a more horizontal arrangement
such as in the Grand Canyon.
This method measures the ratio of C-14 and C-12 in a creature after it has died.
When the artists created the Geologic Time Scale, it gave the appearance of
evolution happening over geologic time, with marine invertebrates on the bottom
working their way up to man at the top. But when one looks at the finer
details,
the true picture represented is that of distinct kinds, some that are extinct
and some that are living today.
Any changes we may see are always on a horizontal level within a kind
(example: many varieties of cats), or on a downward level due to mutations and
extinctions (contrary to evolutions upward demands).
Evolution is never wholly, or even partly, understood correctly by any Creationist I have ever met, heard, read. Not once have I heard or seen it defined or discussed with any accuracy. Of course, that is the nature of the delusion.
Evolution is not just supported by fossils. It can be observed, happening, as we speak. Get some bacteria and a petri dish. Go to the Galapagos Islands, and compare birds over several seasons of varying weather. And once and for all, realize that "theory" can indeed mean fact.
I think the most telling statement about how much those who adhere to Creationist explanations are not observing life with their eyes (mind) open is their idea that evolution - even the vague, inaccurate, misconception of it - somehow precludes God, or religion. Therein lies perhaps the biggest misunderstanding.
Unfortunately, Creationists are so enmeshed in supporting an imposed patriarchal Catholic papalcy imposed belief (above their own ability to think critically) that they have forgotten how to inquire, ponder ideas, concepts, that just may include their God and evolution all in the same instant.
I have heard it said that God exists whether you believe in her or not. Similarly, evolution exists whether you believe in it or not. It won't go away by ignoring it, or trying to forbid education about it, or arguing in stubborn ignorance that it is not well-supported by fact. All such arguments are specious and based in a very basic fear of, well, enlightened thinking.
If only Creationists could step put of their fear, and rightousness, for just a moment, they just may figure out that spirituality and evolution are living, co-existing, together on this planet, no matter how hard they choose to deny, and ignore it. It is sad to observe.
As a teacher of grade school and college students, I am grateful that I have the opportunity to help hundreds of children learn how to think cirtically for themselves, especially when fear and bias are proferred in the name of religion, or worse yet, God.
Science works by taking in the data, and then thinking of a reason why the data is what it is. Then, other scientists go over your idea (your theory) and test it to see if it works. They show their own theories, changes, and additions, and, by mutual effort, a theory emerges which fits all the data and is not contested (at least not until the next bit of data comes out). Because this is dynamic, even long-held ideas are still called 'theories.' That is normal scientific proccess.
However, science is, most emphatically, NOT the creation of an idea, and the search for data to fit that idea. For example, John Doe says that men are better than women. He goes and collects examples of lots of great men through history, and says that he finds no evidence that women are great. This is rediculous. John Doe has simply ignored the Data that doesn't support his theory. He is not being scientific.
If you really want to contest the long-held theory of Evolution, while keeping scientific credibility (which you are obviously trying to do), then please start over, with ALL the facts, and decide what would best fit them.
There ARE transitionary stages in the fossil record. Homo habilis is widely accepted as a transitionary stage in human evolution. Archeopteryx, Microraptor, and other feathered dinosaurs are transitionary stages in bird evolution. Mesohippus is a transitionary stage in horse evolution. Etc. Also, note that, in the geologic scale, the word 'sudden' means 'in a few million years.'
Fossils can be covered by sediment quickely. Ancient mudslides, volcanic eruptions, and tar pits are the best sources of fossils. Also, in highly acidic environments, like in peat bogs, decay happens very slowly. Fossils can form there as well.
Also, I would like to know how the Great Flood managed to deposit fossils on ALL layers of rock in a 40-day period?
Evolution can be observed withing historic time. Look at domestication, which is, at its core, human-caused evolution. Wolf becomes dog. Aurochs becomes cow. Red Jungle Fowl becomes chicken. Even recently, foxes, rats, and fruit flies have been artificially selected into highly varied forms. If people can do it, why can't nature? For that matter, why can't God?
Is evolution really contrary to a beleif in God? No. It is only contrary to an exact, literal intrerpretation of the Bible. Trying to collect data to support a theory is not scientific. It is religious. I respect that, but, like America's founders, I do not think that they should mix.
The author didn't show any human or sapien remains / fossils. That would contradict his slide show.
And there are plenty of plant and animal fossils that show subtle changes that you can't refute. These examples on the surface look very much alike. But the skeletal differences are key.
Ordinarily I'd have passed this site by. The author went through so much trouble in a non-logical way, that I was self-implored to comment.
I say, believe what you like, just don't cast judgement. Because as you well know in your heart of hearts, judgement can only be made be the big guy.
If I want to believe in evolution, great. You, religion, great!
I'm all for leaving politics out of how we got here. Live and let live.
God Bless your work
I suppose in the end, I agree with what the above poster said about the mixing of God and science. I have spent a great deal of my life hearing both sides, (My father was a baptist deacon, my mother was a biologist...yeah, don't ask) being torn to agree with one side or the other.
I suppose it occured to me one day, that Gods nature, wisdom and power is INFINITE. No human can claim to understand or fathom God, and in that, perhaps He (offered as gender neutral) as the ultimate creator of 'science' utililized these methods to create all we know.
I remember as a child my Grandmother telling me that to God, 1000 years is but a twinkle of an eye. Why then, in that all encompassing twinkle could God not have used 'science' to create the world? Why is it that God has to be this old man with a beard sitting on a cloud that can wrinkle his nose and 'blink' things into existence. It is much more interesting to me that, God would utilize the mysteries of the very fabric of reality, that he himself created, to enact his will.
Regardless, we as human beings will question those mysteries, nay, we MUST question those mysteries. I feel that as we do so we must remember that just as Scientists are fallible, that those who came before us in various religious movements were too, simply, Human. Just as science can be skewed towards personal bias, so too, can religion, and I feel that both scientists and theologians can too easily become wrapped up in their own self-righteousness. We must remember that there is, and will always be things we do not know, and by that admission, perhaps we can grow spiritually, and intellectually.
Your spieces that haven't changed one iota are a few out of a great great many. It's understandable that Evolution, being a random process, will miss some species eventually.
As to your "Evolution=Universe came from Big Bang" argument, realize as wel lthat one need not labbel themselves. I believe in MOSt parts of evolution. Big Bang isn't one of them. (I am agnostic in that regard.)
I am sorry, however, that at this time I do not have time to write any further argument or critisism.
At any rate, good article.
-Anonymous and Random Person